Survey: 41% of Digital Marketing Budgets Will Increase Significantly in 2018
Marketers already have top objectives in mind for 2018, and research shows that they are invested in creating digital marketing plans to achieve their goals.
The “2018 Digital Marketing Plan Survey” from Ascend2 discovered that in the new year, the most important objectives to accomplish through a digital marketing plan will be to increase lead generation and drive sales revenue. This is followed by improving brand awareness and increasing website traffic.
In the coming year, nearly all respondents (93 percent) claimed their budget will increase for their digital marketing initiatives in 2018. Forty-one percent said it will increase significantly.
About 57 percent of marketers believe that they are “very successful” when they create a digital marketing plan to achieve their top objectives. An additional 41 percent are at least “somewhat successful.”
When it comes to the challenges that hinder the success of a digital marketing plan, most marketers (16 percent) cite data quality. Lead generation (15 percent), user experience (15 percent) and website traffic (14 percent) can also dampen the success of these plans.
Data, Analytics and Marketing Challenges
Although marketers are positioning themselves for success in terms of digital marketing, they anticipate challenges regarding data and analytics, according to previous research.
The “Communications and Marketing Survey 2017/18” from Cognito Communications found that within the next 12 months, securing a budget (89 percent) will be a top challenge for marketers in terms of analytics and technology. Adaption to disruption (87 percent) and adaption to technology (84 percent) are also perceived obstacles.
“Much like other industries, marketing and communications is anticipating the potential impact of digital disruption, technology and automation,” said Tom Coombes, CEO and founder of Cognito. “Adaption to this change relies on turning perceived challenges into opportunities for success.”